Spontooneous Posted October 29, 2004 Report Posted October 29, 2004 Blue Note just sent out this press release: For Immediate Release: Friday, October 29, 2004 Gil Melle, the baritone saxophonist, composer, painter, and all around Renaissance man, died yesterday of a heart attack at his home in Malibu, California. He was 73 years old. Melle was born on the last day of 1931 in New York City and began painting and playing the saxophone at an early age. When only 19 years old, he was signed to Blue Note Records by label founder Alfred Lion, becoming the first white artist on the storied jazz label. He made several 10" records for Blue Note and Prestige Records throughout the early 1950s before recording his first full-length 12" LP for Blue Note, Patterns In Jazz, in 1956. Apart from his musical career, Melle maintained a career as a visual artist, and at times the two intersected. His art, beyond showing at various New York galleries, was also used in the cover design of records by Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk and Sonny Rollins, as well as several of his own records. Melle moved to Los Angeles in the 1960s and his jazz recording became sparse as he focused on painting and composing for film and television. His fascination with science and technology led him in the direction of electronic music and he began collecting, and even building his own, electronic instruments, including some of the earliest synthesizers and drum machines. In 1967, he performed with the first all-electronic jazz ensemble, The Electronauts, at the 10th Annual Monterey Jazz Festival. His score for the sci-fi thriller The Andromeda Strain (1971), based on a novel by Michael Crichton, was perhaps the first electronic music score for film. Melle returned to Blue Note with his 1991 release Mindscapes, which included "The Blue Lion," a musical eulogy for his life-long friend and mentor Alfred Lion. "Gil was like a beloved son to Alfred," said Ruth Lion, Alfred's widow. "Gil Melle was a true Renaissance man, a multi-talented artist," said current Blue Note President Bruce Lundvall, "He was one of Alfred Lion's protégés and remained a great friend of the label right up until his passing." At the time of this writing, no information about memorial services was known. Quote
Chuck Nessa Posted October 30, 2004 Report Posted October 30, 2004 Sad news, but thanks for the information. Quote
Big Al Posted October 30, 2004 Report Posted October 30, 2004 DRAT!!! He truly was one of a kind. RIP Quote
DrJ Posted October 30, 2004 Report Posted October 30, 2004 Thanks for this information, very sad but he's left a lasting legacy. Quote
White Lightning Posted October 30, 2004 Report Posted October 30, 2004 Sad News, indeed. RIP, Gil Quote
brownie Posted October 30, 2004 Report Posted October 30, 2004 Very sad news. The name brings back so many memories of the great Blue Note and Prestige days! Quote
sidewinder Posted October 30, 2004 Report Posted October 30, 2004 This is indeed very sad news and one more link with the old Blue Note is lost. Gil was always one of my favourites and just yesterday I was spinning 'Mindscapes' in the car, enjoying it thoroughly and marvelling at Gil's imagination and versatility. A great loss - RIP. 'Tome VI' will be on the turntable this weekend.. Quote
JohnS Posted October 30, 2004 Report Posted October 30, 2004 Very sad news. A great loss. I an echo all that Sidewinder has said. Quote
king ubu Posted October 30, 2004 Report Posted October 30, 2004 Very sad news! I wish his Tome VI was available on CD! Quote
mikeweil Posted October 30, 2004 Report Posted October 30, 2004 Yes, very sad news! R.I.P. Gil Mellé. His Blue Note and Prestige albums have a unique quality to them. Quote
Big Al Posted October 30, 2004 Report Posted October 30, 2004 His tenor playing tends to be overshadowed by his bari playing, but I always enjoyed his tenor playing on those early BN albums. Coulda given Getz a run for his money had he never made the switch! B-) Quote
ghost of miles Posted October 30, 2004 Report Posted October 30, 2004 Very sad news.. thanks for posting it. I'll have to break out the BN & Prestige sides when I get home tonight. Quote
Stefan Wood Posted October 30, 2004 Report Posted October 30, 2004 No way. I loved this man's music! I even sold him a copy the Tome VI on ebay a year or two ago. Had a very nice email conversation with him, brief as it was. He'll be missed. Quote
Guest ariceffron Posted October 30, 2004 Report Posted October 30, 2004 can someone post those album covers he did? Quote
Guest Chaney Posted October 31, 2004 Report Posted October 31, 2004 can someone post those album covers he did? http://www.gilmelle.com/ Quote
sidewinder Posted October 31, 2004 Report Posted October 31, 2004 No way. I loved this man's music! I even sold him a copy the Tome VI on ebay a year or two ago. Had a very nice email conversation with him, brief as it was. He'll be missed. Amazing that he didn't already have a copy or 3 ! Quote
clifford_thornton Posted October 31, 2004 Report Posted October 31, 2004 RIP A very unique composer and musician, to whom not enough attention is paid. Quote
BruceH Posted October 31, 2004 Report Posted October 31, 2004 Sad news. But he seems to have lived a varied and interesting life. RIP. Quote
BruceH Posted October 31, 2004 Report Posted October 31, 2004 His score for the sci-fi thriller The Andromeda Strain (1971), based on a novel by Michael Crichton, was perhaps the first electronic music score for film. I thought the first was the one for Forbidden Planet. Well, admittedly it's more like an accumulation of sound effects than an actual musical score. Quote
Chuck Nessa Posted November 3, 2004 Report Posted November 3, 2004 Teddy Charles. The listings on that cd are way wrong. Correct listing for the last 3 titles: Art Farmer - t, Hal McKusick - as, Zoot Sims - ts, Gil - bari, Teddy Charles - vibes, Joe Cinderella - g, Vinnie Burke - b, Ed Thigpen - d Quote
Guest Chaney Posted November 3, 2004 Report Posted November 3, 2004 Film Score Monthly Message Board: Gil Melle (1931-2004), R.I.P. Quote
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